An active community east of the Rideau River in Ottawa.

municipal elections

The 2014 Municipal Election is October 27. CBC Ottawa is on the beat and wants to hear from you about your community. We’re asking you to tell us, “What would make your neighbourhood a better place?“

Come out and have your say. On Wednesday October 8, from 12 to 1 p.m. we’ll be in Ward 13 Rideau-Rockcliffe. Look for us at Rockliffe Crossing, St Laurent and Hemlock by the Dairy Queen. Meet Adrian Harewood, co-host of CBC News Ottawa at 5 p.m.

We will be recording audience responses and will broadcast the highlights of #CBCStreetTalk on CBC Radio One’s Ottawa Morning and our supper-hour television newscast, CBC News Ottawa at 5, 5:30 & 6.

Help us get the word out on the street.Please share this message with your community members, post it on your website and Facebook, and tweet about it. It’s your voice that needs to be heard.

Here’s your chance to meet and learn about the six candidates in our riding hoping to represent you at City Council: Peter Clark, Cam Holmstrom, Jevone Nicholas, Tobi Nussbaum, Sheila Perry and Penny Thompson will all be there to explain their platforms, debate issues and answer your questions.

6:30 to 9 pm, Thursday, 11 September 2014, Overbrook Community Centre

Candidates for school trustee for all four boards will have display tables in the lobby. Lots of information will be available, along with refreshments.

In preparation for the election of our municipal leaders in October of this year, Nouvelles d’Overbrook News will include a Municipal Election Supplement in its September issue. Candidates are invited to purchase advertising space and to answer questions specific to Overbrook.

Over the next four years the Confederation LRT Line will change the face of downtown Ottawa, taking thousands of buses off the streets and offering a once in a century opportunity to build a walkable and cycling friendly Centretown. That’s just one topic Somerset Ward candidates can be expected to address at the first all candidates debate of the 2014 municipal election season. Other key issues at the debate, which will focus on transportation, will likely include cycling lanes, accessibility, parking and sidewalks.

What matters to you? Debate organizers are asking citizens to submit questions to be asked at the event. Please send questions to: questions@centretowncitizens.ca

The event will be broadcast by Rogers TV, Cable 22, and moderated by the Ottawa Citizen’s Joanne Chianello.

Notably, this fall Somerset Ward will elect a new councillor. The June 16th forum is an opportunity for citizens to make an early assessment of the candidates.

Two of three Minto bridges are closed to vehicles, open to pedestrians and cyclists

The centre and east Minto bridges (Union Street / Green Island) that span the Rideau River near Rideau Falls have been opened to pedestrians and cyclists. However, the two bridges will remain closed to vehicular traffic until further notice.

The work on the third bridge, on the west side, has been completed, providing full access to Green Island without any vehicular or load restrictions.

The Minto Bridges rehabilitation project is a $10 million project that will address the deteriorated state of the two heritage bridges that has resulted in restricted vehicular traffic due to public safety concerns. Design for the renewal of these heritage bridges is underway and construction is anticipated to begin in 2015. Further updates will be provided as to when the bridges are expected to reopen to traffic. For more information visit ottawa.ca.

Ottawa on the Move is about keeping our community and economy moving forward through strategic investments in a number of transportation, water, and sewer projects to build a better city and create jobs

Council approves dates for advanced voting for 2014 Municipal Election

With the 2014 Municipal Elections in Ottawa taking place on Monday, October 27, City Council has approved dates for advanced voting to allow eligible voters more opportunities to make their mark.

Special advanced voting will occur on October 1, 2, and 3, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m,, and regular advanced voting will occur on Thursday, October 9, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Saturday, October 18, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Exact advanced vote locations will be determined later this year.

In the 2010 Municipal Elections, a total of 42,181 voters cast a ballot over the two advance voting days.

Follow @ottawavote on Twitter for updates and news on the 2014 municipal elections.

Nominations are now being accepted for the 2014 Order of Ottawa and the Brian Kilrea Award for Excellence in Coaching

The Order of Ottawa recognizes the professional achievements and outstanding service of exceptional Ottawa residents. This prestigious civic award honours up to 15 of Ottawa’s most deserving individuals each year. Any resident of Ottawa who has made a significant contribution in a professional capacity that has been of benefit to our community may be nominated.

The Order of Ottawa is intended to recognize those who have made significant contributions, through their professional endeavours, to life in the city in any of the following areas: arts and culture, business, philanthropy, health care, education, public service, labour, communications and media, science, sports and entertainment and other fields that benefit Ottawa.

The Brian Kilrea Award for Excellence in Coaching, which will be presented at the Order of Ottawa awards ceremony on Thursday, November 20, 2014, recognizes the contribution of an amateur coach who best exemplifies the qualities of leadership and commitment that have been the hallmarks of Brian Kilrea’s career. Mr. Kilrea is a retired hockey head coach, general manager and player, and is best known for his 35-year association with the Ottawa 67’s. He is a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame, has played and coached in the NHL and, with more than 1,000 career victories, he is the most successful coach in Canadian junior hockey history.

Nominations for the Order of Ottawa or the Brian Kilrea Award for Excellence in Coaching may be completed online or by filling out a nomination form in pamphlets that are available at your local community centre, public library, or at any client service centre. The deadline for nominations is Friday, September 12, before midnight. Nominations submitted for previous years are no longer valid but resubmissions will be accepted and given full consideration.

Investiture ceremonies were held in November 2012 and 2013 and each year 15 celebrated individuals were awarded the honour. A list of Order of Ottawa inductees is prominently displayed on a wall on the first floor of City Hall. Nominations from the public are reviewed and recipients of the Order of Ottawa are chosen by a Selection Committee comprised of the Mayor, City Clerk and Solicitor, Chief of Police, Chief of Protocol, City Archivist and the Chief Executive Officer, Library Services.

Nominations by immediate family members, self-nominations, and posthumous nominations will not be accepted. Elected municipal, provincial and federal officials are not eligible to be considered for this award while they are in office.